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Celso Torrelio | |
|---|---|
| 58th President of Bolivia | |
| In office 4 September 1981 – 19 July 1982 Junta: 4 August 1981 – 4 September 1981 | |
| Vice President | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Luis García Meza |
| Succeeded by | Guido Vildoso |
| Minister of Interior, Migration, and Justice | |
| In office 26 February 1981 – 30 June 1981 | |
| President | Luis García Meza |
| Preceded by | Luis Arce Gómez |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Salazar Crespo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Celso Torrelio Villa (1933-06-03)3 June 1933 Padilla,Chuquisaca, Bolivia |
| Died | 23 April 1999(1999-04-23) (aged 65) La Paz, Bolivia |
| Spouse | Teresa Pacheco |
| Parent(s) | Abel Torrelio Estefania Villa |
| Education | Military College of the Army |
| Signature | .svg) |
Celso Torrelio Villa (3 June 1933 – 23 April 1999) was a military general and a member of theJunta of Commanders of the Armed Forces (1981), who served as the de facto 58thpresident of Bolivia from 1981 to 1982.
A native of Padilla, department ofChuquisaca, Torrelio joined theBolivian Army and rose to the rank of general. He served as the notoriousdictatorLuis García Meza's Minister of Interior after the departure, forced by Washington, of the equally-infamous ColonelLuis Arce. The García Meza regime became internationally known for its extreme brutality. Some 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed by theBolivian army and security forces between July 1980 and August 1981. In addition, the García Meza government was deeply involved indrug trafficking activities, and may have come to power financed directly by thedrug cartels. This led to the complete isolation of the regime. Even the newconservative government of U.S. PresidentRonald Reagan kept its distance and seemed to prefer better options. Eventually, the international outcry was sufficiently strong to force García Meza's resignation on 3 August 1981. The high command of theMilitary of Bolivia at that point entrusted General Celso Torrelio with the presidency.
Although the military's idea was to replace the polarizing García Meza with a less controversial and more acceptable leader equally committed to the principles of theanti-communist National Security Doctrine, their plan did not come to fruition. The regime continued to be shunned internationally and despised domestically. Furthermore, a very grave economic crisis loomed on the horizon, the result of years of mismanagement, aglobal recession, and the onset of theLatin American debt crisis. Faced with the choices of mounting a fresh repressive campaign to re-equilibrate the reeling regime (with the increasedinternational isolation such a move would entail) or call elections, the high command chose the latter. In July 1982, General Torrelio was replaced with GeneralGuido Vildoso, who was charged with returning the country to democratic rule. Torrelio then retired and did not return to play any role in Bolivian politics.
Torrelio was replaced by theJunta of Commanders of the Armed Forces (1982).
| International | |
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| National | |
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